Are you looking to stand out by creating content that will leave a mark?
Content marketing is one of the most effective strategies for any business, large or small. It’s all about creating and promoting content that will reach your audience and engage them with your brand. But how do you create content that stands out?
It’s not easy to come up with fresh, impactful content marketing ideas, but it can be done.
In this article, we’ll explore compelling examples of companies that have done an impressive job creating and distributing content. From leveraging user-generated content to launching viral campaigns, these are the stories that made us say "wow".
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Content Marketing Content marketing is a strategic approach of publishing written and visual content on the web, to drive more leads into your business. |
Content marketing is a powerful way to create value for your business and connect with customers. These examples from some of the most successful businesses in the world show how effective content marketing can be.
When it comes to content marketing, Crunchyroll knows how to put its brand front and center. The company’s flagship YouTube channel, Crunchyroll Collections, is a great example of this.
The channel features clips and compilation videos of highly searched moments from popular anime. This type of content marketing engages viewers, keeps the brand at the top of search results for popular anime, and shows how broad the company’s catalog is – encouraging viewers to subscribe to its streaming service.
Another great way Crunchyroll promotes itself is through its social media platforms. For example, the company has a Facebook page that regularly posts updates about new anime and video releases and behind-the-scenes footage from productions. Additionally, Crunchyroll has a Twitter account that broadcasts news and updates about the company’s various initiatives. Finally, the company also maintains a blog where it shares tips on how to market an anime series, as well as general insights about anime culture and trends.
Overall, Crunchyroll knows how to get its message out there – and it does so in a way that engages viewers and keeps them coming back for more.
Chewy, a popular online retailer of pet products, has created an impressive YouTube channel that is full of helpful guides and educational videos. The channel's most popular video, "How to Introduce a Dog to a Cat," has been viewed over 2 million times, and its content is regularly updated with new tips and tricks.
Not only does the channel provide valuable information on how to raise pets together, but Chewy also ties in its products at every opportunity. For example, in the "How to Train Your Pet" video, the company provides instructions for training your dog with their chew toys, all available for purchase on the site.
In addition, the descriptions for each video include links to blog posts with additional information on the product being advertised.
Overall, Chewy's YouTube channel is an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn more about raising pets or buying quality pet products.
In recent years, anime and manga (Japanese comics) have skyrocketed in popularity across the globe. With so many streaming services vying for your attention, it can be hard to know which one to choose. However, one service that stands out from the rest is Amazon Prime.
Launched in 2006, Amazon Prime is a subscription-based service that offers a variety of benefits, including free two-day shipping on most items and access to a growing selection of exclusive TV and movie titles. This year, they partnered with actress and content creator Cheyenne The Geek to create The Anime Club.
The Anime Club is a web series that gives anime recommendations based on genre and tackles different topics often referenced in anime. For example, the first episode discusses the different types of relationships found in anime and how they can be interpreted. In addition, each episode features a guest who shares their insights into anime and manga.
All of the episodes of The Anime Club are available to watch on Amazon Prime, which encourages viewers to subscribe to the streaming service. By providing quality content alongside its subscription-based benefits, Amazon Prime has successfully positioned itself as the go-to destination for anime fans around the world.
Jackson Galaxy is the former host of Animal Planet's "My Cat from Hell," a show that cat owners get along better with their unruly cats. Now, he has a website where he sells cat products and consultations. To help promote his work and establish himself as an expert, Jackson runs a YouTube channel where he answers common questions regarding cats and cat ownership. In these videos, he provides advice, promotes his book, and showcases the products he has on his website that can help cat owners.
One of Jackson Galaxy's most popular YouTube channels is "Jackson Galaxy's You Suck at Cooking." In this channel, Jackson teaches people how to cook various dishes using ingredients they may have in their pantry or fridge. He is approachable and humorous, and his videos are packed with helpful tips and tricks.
His videos have reached over 2 million views!
In addition to cooking, Jackson has also created a series called "Cats 101." This series covers everything from the basics of feline behavior to tips for keeping your cat healthy and happy. Each episode features interviews with experts in the field, so viewers learn not only about cats but also about topics like nutrition and declawing surgery.
If you're interested in learning more about how to create content that will engage your audience and drive traffic to your website, check out Jackson Galaxy's YouTube channel!
When it comes to email marketing, Warby Parker is a company that stands out from the rest. Not only does it use creative and eye-catching content, but it also makes it easy for its customers to take action.
For example, in one email campaign, Warby Parker welcomed summer vacation with its bright crystal-themed glasses eyewear. The calls to action in the email are easy to spot, the colors are bright and fun, and the company's social media accounts are presented.
This type of attention to detail shows that Warby Parker takes its email marketing seriously. It wants its customers to know exactly what they need to do to get their hands on the latest glasses designs.
Overall, Warby Parker's email campaigns are fun and easy to follow, which makes them a great example for other businesses looking to improve their email marketing efforts.
Encouraging readers to share your content on social media is an essential part of any successful digital marketing strategy. One effective way to increase social shares is by using a "click to tweet" button that allows readers to easily share interesting quotes or statistics from your article.
Content Marketing Institute is a prime example of how this technique can be effective, with their most widely shared guest blog post making use of "click to tweet" options throughout the post.
By incorporating "click to tweet" buttons, readers can share content with their followers in just one click. This can result in increased visibility, engagement, and ultimately, more traffic to your website. Additionally, using this feature allows for easy tracking of social shares and helps to identify what content resonates most with your audience.
Fortunately, implementing "click to tweet" options on your website is easy with the help of various free tools available online. By making sharing content as easy as possible for your readers, you can help increase brand awareness and reach a wider audience.
Digital Olympus, a digital marketing agency, has published an expert roundup on their blog where they interviewed over 40 digital marketing experts about their most effective methods for acquiring traffic.
This post highlights the importance of influencers in any industry and offers valuable insights from various experts in the field. What sets this post apart is the way Digital Olympus organizes the contributions, with a headshot of each expert at the top of the page that links directly to their quote.
Additionally, the post includes an anchor-linked Table of Contents for easy navigation to specific topics. This makes it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their traffic acquisition strategies.
Effective content marketing involves creating a resource page that provides helpful links on a given topic. Colgate, an oral hygiene company, has taken this approach by creating a resource page of over 1,200 pieces of content related to their broad topic of "gum disease." This page is an effective way to create helpful content and support the topics around which a business wants to build authority.
Colgate's resource page is organized into specific sections on gum disease-related content, such as "What are the Stages of Gum Disease?" and "How to Cure Gingivitis." Each section includes a paragraph of explainer text, a bulleted list of details on the sub-topic, and links to relevant content on their site. This structure allows readers to easily navigate the page and find the information they need.
If your business has been producing content for a while, creating a resource page like Colgate's can be an excellent way to organize related content and help your audience find the information they need.
Marketing automation is a powerful way to reach prospects and customers with targeted, automated messages across multiple channels. By using pre-set instructions called workflows, businesses can engage with their audience regularly with minimal effort. However, it's important to ensure that your messages are timely and relevant to your audience.
One company that has successfully implemented marketing automation is Mailshake, an email outreach tool. They created a Cold Email Masterclass, consisting of eight comprehensive lessons or pillar pages, to teach people how to make better connections via email outreach.
Realizing that the masterclass was a lot of content for people to digest in one sitting, Mailshake repackaged it into an eight-part email series. By automating their education, they made it easier for their audience to learn step-by-step.
This strategy paid off for Mailshake, as they acquired over 5,000 email opt-ins for their cold email masterclass workflow in under a year. This is a testament to the effectiveness of marketing automation when done well.
Content offers are a great way to convert website visitors into leads. However, creating a valuable content offer from scratch can be a daunting task. One effective strategy is to repurpose and repackage existing content on your website.
For instance, Townsend Security, a data security company, created a pillar page for encryption key management. To convert visitors into leads, they repurposed and repackaged the content on the page into a guide, which visitors could download in exchange for their contact information.
By offering a content offer, Townsend Security was able to provide valuable information to its audience while capturing leads for its business. This allowed people to take the content with them and read it at their convenience, rather than having to search for the pillar page each time they wanted to learn more about encryption key management.
In the first year of publishing its encryption key management pillar page, Townsend Security saw a 63% conversion rate, with visitors giving their information in exchange for the packaged PDF of the on-page content.
Content offers can take various forms such as guides, workbooks, templates, webinars, etc. It's crucial to provide value to your audience with your content offer to convince them to provide their contact information. Repurposing and re-packaging existing content is an effective way to create a content offer quickly, saving you time and resources.
Ballast Point Brewing Company's virtual craft beer tastings were a hit during the pandemic when lovers of craft beer festivals couldn't attend in-person events. The ongoing virtual events offered a way for the craft beer community to come together, enjoy a hearty laugh, and drink a selection of brews from the comfort of their own homes.
Even with beer festivals operating again, Ballast Point Brewing Company continues to host virtual craft beer tastings for enthusiasts across the United States. Guests can experience a virtual tasting and brewery tour, then participate in trivia without having to leave their couches. Attendees also have the luxury of ordering items they would typically find at beer fests, such as merchandise and beer, which are shipped directly to their door.
What makes Ballast Point Brewing Company's virtual craft beer tastings unique is their ability to bring people together and create a fun and engaging experience for all attendees. The tastings offer a way for people to connect with others who share the same passion for craft beer, regardless of their physical location. In addition, the virtual tastings offer a unique way for beer enthusiasts to discover new brews and learn about the brewing process from the comfort of their own homes.
Overall, Ballast Point Brewing Company's virtual craft beer tastings are an excellent example of how businesses can pivot and adapt to the changing landscape during the pandemic while still providing value to their customers. By providing an interactive and engaging experience, Ballast Point Brewing Company can maintain its relationship with customers and continue to build its brand.
Airbnb collaborated with design experts at Domino to create a short quiz that helps users discover their design personalities. This quiz can be a fun way for users to learn more about themselves and their design preferences while also helping them spruce up their space.
Quizzes are not only a momentary source of fun but can also drive users to other parts of a website. For example, after taking the quiz, users are presented with a list of Airbnb's recommended homes based on their design personality.
In terms of the Airbnb Design Personality quiz, it's a great example of using interactive content to engage with users and drive traffic to different parts of a website. By creating a fun and engaging quiz that allows users to discover their design personality, Airbnb can capture user data and personalize their experience on the platform.
But the benefits of interactive content go beyond just engagement and data capture. Interactive content, such as quizzes, calculators, and assessments, can also help educate users about your products and services more interactively and engagingly than traditional content formats.
For example, a company that sells financial planning services could create a retirement savings calculator that helps users understand how much they need to save to retire comfortably. By using interactive content to educate users, this company can establish itself as a trusted authority in the financial planning space and potentially drive more leads and sales.
Overall, interactive content is a powerful tool for content marketers to engage with users, capture data, and educate potential customers about their products and services.
Google Web Stories is a relatively new feature that aims to keep up with the rising popularity of video content. It allows creators to upload video content to the backend of their website, making it easily accessible to a wide audience. With Google Web Stories, creators can create unique and engaging stories using a range of tools, including animations, text, color, embeds, and captions.
What sets Google Web Stories apart from other video-sharing platforms is its focus on mobile-first design. The platform is optimized for mobile devices and is designed to deliver a seamless and engaging user experience. Additionally, Google Web Stories are highly shareable, which means that creators can reach a wider audience by leveraging social media platforms and other online channels.
At its core, content marketing is about telling a story that resonates with your target audience. By using storytelling techniques in your content marketing, you can build a stronger connection with your audience and create a more memorable and engaging experience for them. This is why Slack takes a storytelling approach to share its case studies, as it allows the company to showcase how its product has impacted its customers in a relatable and compelling way.
Google Web Stories is an exciting new platform that offers a range of tools for creators to craft engaging video content. By incorporating storytelling techniques in your content marketing, you can create a more meaningful connection with your audience and build a stronger brand presence online.
The State of Personalization Ebook by Drift is a comprehensive guidebook that delves into the importance of personalized content for businesses. It highlights the significance of creating individualized content that caters to the unique needs and preferences of customers. The guidebook provides valuable insights into how businesses can craft scalable online experiences that leave a lasting impression on users.
The guidebook features compelling statistics and data-backed reasoning that educates businesses on the significance of individualized content. It encourages businesses to abandon templated content marketing techniques and shift towards creating high-quality individualized content that resonates with their target audience.
This guidebook is an excellent resource for businesses looking to stay ahead of the competition by creating personalized content that connects with their customers on a deeper level. With the help of this guidebook, businesses can learn how to craft compelling content that stands out in a crowded digital landscape.
Overall, The State of Personalization Ebook by Drift serves as an invaluable resource for businesses looking to leverage the power of personalized content to drive growth and success.
Apple’s Shot on an iPhone campaign is an innovative approach to promoting the camera capabilities of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Max. The campaign encourages users to share their best photographs using the phone's macro function, which allows them to capture stunning close-up shots of everyday objects.
To participate in the campaign, users simply had to share their photos on social media using the hashtags #shotonaniPhone or #iPhonemacrochallenge. The submissions were judged by a panel of ten professional photographers and Apple staff, who selected the ten winners.
The campaign was a huge success, with close to 60,000 posts on Instagram alone. It not only showcased the impressive camera capabilities of the new iPhones but also highlighted the creativity and photography skills of iPhone users.
What makes this campaign stand out is its simplicity and accessibility. It encourages users to experiment and have fun with their new iPhones, resulting in a flood of unique and visually stunning photos on social media. The user-generated content aspect of the campaign also helped to build a sense of community among iPhone users.
Our top takeaway from this campaign is the power of user-generated content. When launching a new product, a UGC campaign that encourages customers to share their experiences with the product can be an engaging and effective promotional tool. By leveraging the creativity and enthusiasm of customers, businesses can create a buzz around their products and build a loyal community of brand advocates.
GoPro has successfully leveraged the power of visual content in its marketing strategy, with a focus on providing high-quality visual content and products. With 3.4 million subscribers on YouTube and 6.8 million followers on Instagram, their success is a testament to the effectiveness of visual content.
Their approach is centered around providing their customers with what they love the most: great pictures. By focusing on the user and delivering quality content, they have managed to engage and captivate their audience.
Infographics are another powerful tool for businesses looking to boost traffic. According to entrepreneur Neil Patel, when used properly, infographics can potentially double traffic. Additionally, posts with photos are known to engage users more than those without.
The success of visual content can be attributed to its ability to create a personal connection with users. People are more likely to share a funny or great picture or meme on social media, which creates a personal connection with the content and increases its reach. By focusing on quality visual content, GoPro has managed to create a strong brand image and a loyal following of customers.
The General Insurance Company's rebranding and accompanying marketing campaign is a prime example of effective video content marketing. For years, the company inundated cable television with commercials featuring a crudely rendered CGI man in a military uniform and a catchy but annoying jingle. Despite going viral, the commercials failed to engender trust and were seen as hokey.
So in 2020, The General Insurance Company rebranded, replacing the old CGI character with notable celebrities. In one commercial, a group of hikers led by Craig Robinson stumbled upon Shaquille O'Neal in the middle of the woods. Craig admits that they thought Shaq was "losing it" for suggesting The General, but they realized it was just the cheesy commercials that made the brand untrustworthy.
The ad directly acknowledged consumer sentiment, engendered trust, and asked people to give the company a try. This relatable approach was highly effective in connecting with consumers and promoting the company's products.
This video content marketing strategy is supported by research that shows consumers prefer video content over other forms of media, such as written or image-based content. By producing engaging and relatable video content, The General Insurance Company was able to attract and retain a broader audience, resulting in increased brand recognition and customer loyalty.
LinkedIn is a popular social media platform that appeals to people from all walks of life, including recent college graduates and business professionals looking to connect with like-minded individuals. The content on this platform is more serious and is focused on advancing one's career digitally.
One of the things that set LinkedIn apart from other platforms is its successful content marketing efforts. They recently launched "The Secret Sauce" campaign to showcase a behind-the-scenes look at how LinkedIn delivers exceptional results through a digital marketing strategy that utilizes its platform.
The campaign was backed by practical case studies that showed the results from their previous campaigns and provided tips on how others can replicate their strategy. LinkedIn employees were featured in videos discussing their methods, which made the company seem more personable and relatable.
The videos were also more interactive as they included panel discussions rather than just one person talking directly to the camera. Additionally, LinkedIn created videos for YouTube to promote their Secret Sauce campaign across their social media channels.
LinkedIn's promotion of the campaign was very effective, as they shared the benefits of using LinkedIn's different tools to promote content, which led users to a landing page where they could exchange their personal information for the "secret sauce." This strategy ultimately helped LinkedIn achieve high conversions.
What made the campaign particularly smart was that LinkedIn promoted it as a "secret sauce," something that is not usually associated with a professional business site.
Grammarly is an online grammar checker that helps users improve their communication by analyzing their text and showing them the errors that need to be corrected. The free version of the application covers the basics, while the premium version provides advanced suggestions to enhance writing style.
Grammarly is known for its perfect blend of artificial intelligence and natural language processing that helps students and professionals to communicate their ideas effectively.
The company's success is based on the fact that anyone from different industries and walks of life can benefit from their service. Grammarly's "Write the Future" video series exemplifies how real customers have improved their writing skills with the help of their software.
Using relatable characters in everyday situations, the series showcased that there are many reasons to make your writing clear and effective.
The video series was accompanied by documentary-style videos that provided insight into how people used Grammarly in their daily lives. The company utilized Instagram to showcase these short videos and raise awareness about its campaign. Additionally, they engaged their audience on social media platforms by encouraging users to share their testimonials and benefit from Grammarly's premium service for free.
Grammarly's content marketing campaign was highly successful, with over 100 million total views on their videos. They were awarded the Best Advertiser in Video award from Digiday in 2018, demonstrating the strength of their marketing efforts.
By showing how everyday individuals use Grammarly to accomplish everyday tasks, the company built credibility and trust with potential customers, highlighting the strong connection between their business and customers.
Dove is a personal care brand that offers various products such as washing/bathing, skin care, antiperspirant deodorants, hair care, and more. However, what sets them apart from their competitors is their unique marketing strategy that focuses on empowering the everyday woman to achieve her goals.
One of their most effective content marketing campaigns was the “Real Beauty Sketches,” which was released in 2013.
The campaign was a response to internal research conducted by Dove, which showed that only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful at the time.
To change this perception, Dove hired an FBI-trained sketch artist to draw women first based on their self-perception and then based on the description of a stranger. The resulting film aimed to encourage women to recognize their beauty and promote self-confidence and realistic beauty standards.
The high-quality and inspiring video content was a resounding success, garnering more than 50 million views within 12 days of its release, becoming the most-watched video ad of all time.
This campaign's success is attributed to Dove's ability to connect with women and empower them instead of selling a product.
The lesson learned from this campaign is that genuine help for people can lead to tremendous success. Dove's sales increased from $2.5 to $4 billion in the first ten years of the campaign, with Dove bars becoming the number one-selling soap brand in the US.
While the primary goal of the online marketing campaign was to empower women, it provided a high ROI for Unilever, Dove's parent company.
Content marketing can be a great way to reach your target audience and help them understand what you offer. From creating helpful articles to producing engaging video content, the variety of content types is left only to the imagination. Whether you're just starting or have been using content for a while, the important thing is to find something that connects with your audience and drives conversions.
In the world of content marketing, strategy is key. Without a well-thought-out plan, your content may fall flat and fail to reach its intended audience. As demonstrated by the various examples discussed in this blog, there are many ways to approach content marketing and engage with your target audience.
However, it's important to keep in mind that content marketing is a long-term game, and success requires consistency, patience, and a willingness to experiment and adapt. By creating quality content that truly resonates with your audience and aligns with your brand values, you can build trust, establish thought leadership, and ultimately drive conversions.
Remember, the key to great content marketing is to create content that not only promotes your products but also provides value to your audience while staying true to your brand's unique voice and personality.
Looking for more ideas on how to improve your content marketing strategy? Contact Fine Media today to learn more about how our team can help you create compelling content that connects with your target audience and drives results. Let's work together to take your content marketing to the next level!